FIFTEENTH WEEK.—THURSDAY. — Morning

ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, great in holiness and terrible in power, who art the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, the unchangeable God, we desire to draw near to Thee, pleading no other name and trusting to no other merit than the name and merit of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. We thank Thee, gracious God, that Thou hast been pleased to make known unto us the way of life. Give us grace, we beseech Thee, so to profit by the revelation of thy mind and will, that we may embrace and ever hold fast those truths which pertain to our well-doing in the life that now is, and to our prosperity in the life that is to follow. May we so reflect upon thy dealings with thine ancient people Israel, and the direful judgments denounced against the rejecters of thy commands, that we may be led in faith, in penitence, and in holy fear, to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. As Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, grant, by thy grace, that we may be made partakers of all the blessings which He died to secure. And as of ourselves we are not able to believe and to do those things which are pleasing in thy sight, we beseech Thee, strengthen us by power from on high for the right discharge of our duties to Thee and to our fellow-men; and grant, that we may be led so to embrace the offer of deliverance, by faith in Christ Jesus, that being rescued from all our spiritual enemies, we may be enabled to worship Thee with joyful hearts, and to serve Thee in newness of life.

As it is Thou, Lord, that liftest up or castest down, as it is thine to exalt or to abase, and as the silver and the gold are thine, and the hearts of all men are at thy control, teach us to know that our safety and our prosperity in things temporal are alike in thy hands. May we therefore look up to Thee for guidance in all our ways, and ever pray that Thou mayest direct our paths.

Now that we are about to enter on the duties of the day, be with us in our going out and our coming in, to prosper the work of our hands. Bestow upon us throughout the day a sense of thy presence; keep us in thy faith and fear; and when our duties on earth are finished, do Thou in mercy forgive us those things whereof our consciences are afraid, and give us those good things which of ourselves we are not worthy to ask, but which we venture to ask for ourselves, and for all for whom it is our duty to pray, through the intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord bless and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and give us peace. The Lord be gracious unto us this day, henceforth, and for ever. Amen.